DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The man best known for his role as New York’s “Naked Cowboy” was arrested over the weekend in Daytona Beach, where the annual Bike Week festival is currently underway.
Records show Robert Burck, 50, was booked into the Volusia County Jail Saturday on charges of panhandling.
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Daytona Beach police wrote in the arrest report Burck was taking photographs with bystanders near Main Street and Fern Lane as they put money in his guitar. Officers said his actions violated a Daytona Beach city ordinance on panhandling.
Officers noted in the report Burck was wearing white “underwear, a multi-color straw-hat during this incident which caused crowds to form a circle around him, while panhandling.”
According to the report, Burck refused a police officer’s orders and as he pulled away the officer “redirected” him to a marked patrol vehicle. In the process, Burck’s guitar filled with money was broken. Officers said Burck’s girlfriend took possession of the guitar at his request.
Video on the official “The Naked Cowboy” Facebook page shows what appears to be Burck playing a guitar wearing nothing but white underwear and a pair of cowboy boots.
The caption reads, “Naked in Daytona!”
Naked in Daytona! Bikeweek.com BikeweekNews.blog Daytona Bike Week Bernie and Sid in the Morning MainStreet #mainstreet #lifeisgood #DaytonaBikeWeek2021
Posted by The Naked Cowboy on Saturday, March 6, 2021
His bio on the social media site reads as follows:
“Robert John Burck (born December 23, 1970), better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American street performer whose pitch is on New York City’s Times Square. He wears only cowboy boots, a hat, and white briefs, with a guitar strategically placed to give the illusion of nudity.”
Video posted by a YouTube user shows what appears to be the moment The Naked Cowboy was arrested on Saturday.
The user uploaded the video below with the following description:
“New York’s naked cowboy gets handcuffed and possibly arrested in Daytona Beach Florida after partner attempts to take cellphone out of boot.”
Burck is a regular at Bike Week, where hundreds of thousands of bikers are expected through March 14.
Burck was released from jail Sunday morning.
Jail records show Burck was arrested on a charge of aggressive panhandling, but Daytona Beach police said that is not correct.
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